Comms

It’s that time of year again! The promise of autumn galvanizes New Yorkers to trudge on through the simmering vat of boiling hot garbage that is their fine city. Convenience stores around the country begin stocking up on plastic jack-o-lanterns and battery powered cauldrons with kicking witches legs sticking out of the top (because if they’re going to play Christmas music in October, they’re sure as hell going to sell this crap in August), and 80k+ dedicated fans descend on the unsuspecting city of Atlanta, ready to turn it into the biggest nerd-party of the year. There’s a lot in my life to be thankful for, and the fact that I continue to be a guest at DragonCon year after year is high amongst them. I’ll be there again this year, paneling, signing, and once again teaching a class of how to write combat (if you missed it at Phoenix, here’s your chance to get in!). Psyched to see friends,…

Man, Phoenix Comic Fest (PHXCF) is next week! This is one of my favorites, and I’m super psyched to be heading back to Arizona. I’ll be out for the full event this year, and I have deliberately asked the organizers to fill my schedule so I can get as much time with fans as possible before I head back east. If you can’t make PHXCF but still want to see me, I’ll be at the Elevengeddon Multi-Author Sci-Fi Event at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore on Wednesday, May 23rd at 7:00PM, along with: Emily Devenport Cory Doctorow Jason Fry Aaron Mahnke Sylvain Neuvel K. Arsenault Rivera John Scalzi Victoria (V.E.) Schwab Scott Sigler Charles Soule Chuck Wendig Sam Sykes (Please note that Sam is listed last). We’ll be signing books and hanging out with fans at the store, located at 4014 N Goldwater Blvd. in Scottsdale, AZ. It’s a great chance to meet us without having to contend with the madness of…

Hey all, I’m making my first public appearance since the official publication of THE ARMORED SAINT at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, Washington! If you’d like to say hi or get a copy signed (not just of THE ARMORED SAINT, but any of my books), this is your chance. I’d love to hear from you and I’m happy to sign whatever’s put in front of me. Yes, I signed a baby, once. While sitting next to Brandon Sanderson at Balticon many years ago. There’s pictures floating around somewhere. I really will sign absolutely anything is my point here. Thought I’d share my schedule. If you can’t make any of the planned events, feel free to catch me in the hallway or the dealers room if you see me wandering around. Friday, March 2nd: Noon – 1:00PM – Penguin Random House Booth (#1610) – Signing. 4:00PM – 5:00PM – University Bookstore Booth (6-1000) – Signing with Spencer Ellsworth, author of…

Well, tomorrow’s the day. THE ARMORED SAINT will be in bookstores, putting the finishing note on a dream I conceived shortly after I went pro in 2012. It’s my first epic fantasy if you follow the publisher’s billing, and my first dark fantasy if you follow mine. It’s also my first direct to hardcover release, other than the special Science Fiction Book Club editions that were done of my earlier novels. But it’s more than that for me. Shortly after CONTROL POINT published in 2012, I was praised for the military authenticity of my work. In interview after interview, I was asked about the influence of my military experience on my writing. In review after review, the authentic military tone was called out. Not surprisingly, I developed a bit a complex. Were people buying and enjoying my work because it was good or because it was “authentic?” You folks know how obsessive thoughts go. Before long, I couldn’t shake the idea…

I am mentioned in the School Library Journal thread that names and shames men who have been inappropriate in their conduct with women in the field. I wish I could say that the entire comment was false, but I would be lying to you and to myself. I have always prided myself on being “good”. I thought I had a good handle on what that was. It turns out I was wrong. And I have to be accountable to you and to myself. I have repeatedly abused my social power. I have made unwelcome advances in professional settings and that is not okay. This is humiliating to write, but it is also necessary, because I believe in the #MeToo movement and I 100% support women coming forward to name men who have made them uncomfortable, or worse abused them. When I first found out I was being named, I was shocked. I figured it was someone who had a bone…